I Don't Have a Problem with Ten

I Like 10.

I Don't Have a Problem with Ten.

Sure, it's double digits,

but you still have baby teeth

and you ask for a hug every night when you go to bed.

Ten isn't so bad.

I mean, YES you are a decade old, born in the 90's,

but Ten, it's not all it's chalked up to be!

I can still remember how you looked on your first day of kindergarten.

and wasn't it just a couple years ago you were learning cursive?
You're just one year removed from Elementary School, baby!
10 is fine.
I'm fine with 10.
Really, I am.
It's those other numbers that scare me.
Like 2. Two years from Middle School.
Now that's making me a little uncomfortable.
And 4. Four years from being a freshman.
Wow, that's fierce. I do NOT like that number.
Then there is 6. I do not like 6 at all.
Thats' six years from driving.
No kidding.
But the worst number, the meanest number of all
is 8. That is two less than 10 and a short eight years
until you leave us for better things.
Maybe by then 8 won't be such a scary number
a number that already brings tears to my eyes.
But for now I'm liking 10.
I don't have a problem with ten.
Ten is a fabulous number.

A Christmas Connection

Finding time for friends is not easy in the stage of life we are in. It seems like months whiz by before we can get together. This Christmas, we got a date on the calendar, and all the stars aligned just right! We were able to spend the evening with the Sammons and the Streeters. The kids had a blast and the adults talked til we dropped.

Not So Easy to Answer....

(Click on the picture to enlarge and read questions)

Turkey Day

The main reason I like to call Thanksgiving "Turkey Day" is to remember all the grief we used to give my sister growing up. Somewhere along the way, someone gave her the nickname of turkey, and it seemed to stick. And on Thanksgiving, it was inevitable, someone (usually Uncle Rex or Grandpa) would tell her we were going to eat turkey for thanksgiving... oh wait, that means we are going to eat YOU! "Nooooooooo," she would scream! The funny thing is that as a kid, somewhere in your mind reality blends with possibility and you become kind of desperate, thinking that they might actually throw you pot and cook you for dinner! I told my kids the story this year, hoping we could bring back the old tradition of calling Kim "turkey."

Here is a page I digiscrapped for Thanksgiving. I can't believe how much I love to scrapbook on the computer. I will confess that this page took me just as long as a paper and sticky tab page, but, hey, I am out of practice.... one good thing is that I made this page for free, didn't have to sink $10.00 and surely more into 3 kinds of paper, sticky tabs, photo printing, letter stickers, ribbon or vellum! Woo hoo!! Hopefully, this page will also last longer than a paper one too! I have the option to print it out, and if it gets ruined, I can always print it again. One last thing, if you buy off-white letters, but upon affixing them to your page, you realize that dark brown would look better, then you are stuck as a duck with those off-white letters. But in this case, I just grabbed my digital paint bucket, and woop! oh now the letter is darker! So easy, so fun! Check out the awesome and free scrapbooking sets at shabbyprincess.com. Absolutely LOVE them!

On a different note, look at that plate of food Kami fixed for herself! It was a heaping high plate! Looked so funny in a little girl's hands. But she (as did we all) enjoyed every bite of our traditional Thanksgiving dinner, which included Granny's heavenly mashed potatoes, Nana's creamed corn and for dessert, Kim's yummy fudge. Oh, to have that meal again before next year! It was soooooooooo good! And a WONDERFUL day with family.

Rise to the Rescue

Kim and I don't hire babysitters too often, because Mom and Dad have pretty much made it their mission to help us out when we need it. Once in a while though, there is an occasion that we have to find someone to stay with the kids. And our first choice is always our cousin Rise. She has helped us out the last couple of nights while we went to the Conference Tournament. And I can truly say that I had ZERO worries leaving four kids with her. I mean, if I leave Mr. Luke with any other babysitter, I am always a bit nervous, wondering how much damage he might do while I'm gone. But I know Rise can handle it. She is laid back and fun, and the kids absolutely adore her. Rise, we love you and appreciate your help the last couple of nights!!!! (click on the pic for a better view)

My Little Rock

As you can see I've been hitting my digital scrapbooking "hobby." And I absolutely love it. I have a trial version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 5.0, and this is a rocking program! It's so fun to use, and making scrapbook pages is much less time consuming (and CHEAPER and NEATER and less SPACE WASTING) than the traditional scrapbooking. Don't get me wrong, traditional scrapbooking is great, but going digital really fits my busybuzzingbasketball lifestyle. With this latest page, I was able to put together some thoughts about Kami in just a few minutes. I snapped the picture, and I loved the serious look on her face, because it shows a side of her some people may not really know about. Most people think of Kami as kind, and she is. She is also a very centered little girl. It takes a lot to ruffle her feathers. Like Tom, she approaches the world on an even keel. I was blessed enough to get a husband AND a daughter who balance out MY emotional side. (Me, emotional? Can you believe it?) They have both been good examples to me, for what I see in their eyes is the faith that says, "Calm down! Everything is going to be A - O-K!" And it is.

Big Cedar Pics

Strike!

We had a blast on New Year's Eve bowling with the kids. It was Luke's first time to bowl and he embraced it with his usual gusto. Ms. Competitive (Kami) kept track of the score, and Ellie and Hallie giggled their way through the 10 frames. It was so good to spend family time together, but unfortunately we were so worn out that we were all asleep by 10:30! (click on the picture for a close up view)

These ARE the days....

In the hustle and rush of the season, I often let myself become too focused on the frustrating details like getting the dried green icing out of Ellie's hair and figuring out if Kami's tights are TOO tight. Do we have a bigger pair? Can you wear these even though they hang down 6 inches? Luke, why are you taking off your shoes again? Do NOT throw them down the stairs! These everyday annoyances have to be attended to, but they take my mind away from where it should be... the joy of watching my kids grow and learn. Seeing them interact with their grandparents and cousins. These are the moments I know I will look back on and whisper to myself, "those were the days." To be able to spend such precious time with my sister and her family, to see our children grow up together is an amazing blessing. God Himself has intertwined our lives together. I rest in that as sometimes the basketball world can be difficult on us. But I find great strength in the fact that He has allowed us to do it together. And with the support of loving family and friends, who mean more than they could ever, ever know. Mom, Dad and Carolyn are our anchors; they center us and shower all of us with love and support. I guess the beauty of the Christmas season brings out these emotions that are certainly down in my heart everyday of my life. I just don't want them to be overshadowed by crusty icing, tiny tights, missing shoes and lost basketball games. I am unspeakably thankful for where God has led us and where He is leading us now. Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Ellie the next Mia Hamm???

After years of watching her big sister Kam play soccer, Ellie is finally getting her chance to play! She is on a team with her friends Savannah and Lydia, plus some other fun girls. They are the "Firecrackers" and the name couldn't suit them better. They played their first game with a lot of bang. Well, until about midway through the second half of the game. Ellie left her coaches (one of whom is Tom) and walked all the way around to the other side of the field. She stated flatly, "I am tired and sweaty and I need a ring pop." That is one of the things that Papa likes to do... buy the kids a ring pop treat and she was aware that she had not gotten hers yet. Well, after she finished playing the game, she got her ring pop.